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Super franchises might keep Test stars

Melissa Woods

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will consider relaxing its strong stance on the availability of Wallabies during the Lions tour if it helps an Australian side make the Super Rugby finals.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has stated his wish to put his Test squad into an extended three-week camp before the British and Irish Lions series in June, leaving Super teams stripped of their stars for crucial second-last-round matches.

Brumbies coach Jake White has been the most outspoken about the plans, describing it as blatantly unfair.

New ARU chief executive Bill Pulver is sympathetic to the Super teams and said players could still be made available for the last round before the three-Test series, which starts in Brisbane on June 22.

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"You can expect from me a real willingness to support the coach (Deans) because the Wallabies beating the Lions is priority No.1," Pulver said on Wednesday at the launch of the Super Rugby season.

"The only little twist in that is that the player availability could potentially influence the last round of Super Rugby and, if that last game is the difference between one of our franchises making the finals and not, obviously sanity will prevail.

"We will address that on its merits at the right time."

Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie wants his players available but said at the launch he would support what the Test coach dictated.

"That will be a policy decision and we will run with whatever that is," he said.

"We've got an opinion but, ultimately, someone has to make a decision and that's the ARU's job to make policies so we will just get on with it and make the best of it."

Former South African coach White feels he has the most to lose if the ARU decided to quarantine Test players.

The Brumbies are scheduled to meet the Melbourne Rebels on June 7 in Canberra - 15 days before the first Wallabies-Lions Test - in their second-last fixture and desperately want the likes of David Pocock, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Pat McCabe available.

The Rebels could also lose the crux of their attack with halfback Nick Phipps, five-eighth Kurtley Beale and fullback James O'Connor certain selections.

The same weekend, NSW play the Western Force in Perth while Queensland, who have a Super bye, host the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.